1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to cutting tools. More specifically, the present invention relates to tools that can be used to cut candle wax. Still more specifically, the present invention relates to tools for cutting the excess waste of excess walls of pillar styled candles that have been used.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The present invention resolves a problem that has plagued man for thousands of years. What to do with candles that have been used and for which perimeter walls remain while the candle wick is recessed within those walls, thereby diminishing effectiveness? The invented product is a precision cutting tool for use in safely trimming/cutting away the excess waste paraffin wax walls that surround the burned down core of pillar styled candles.
Pillar styled candles (primarily 2 7/16th-in to 2⅞th-in diameter at the base) differ from dinner styled candles (primarily 1-in in diameter and 12-18-in in height) in that their larger diameter provides stability and therefore lessens the fire hazard characteristic of the less stable 1-in dinner styled candle. They are more conveniently able to stand alone without a broader supporting base. In addition to greater stability, the larger-diameter pillar styled candles have more wax material between their perimeters and their essentially centered wick(s). That extra wax material that is a characteristic of pillar styled candles provides more fuel to enable longer duration of burning time for the generating of ambient light, heat, and aroma (when fragrance is added).
The thick paraffin walls of the pillar styled candles are the source of the historic problem associated with their use. While the thicker walls (relative to the walls of the dinner styled candies) provide additional fuel to produce a candle that lasts longer than the dinner styled candies, there is a point of diminishing return when the added thickness becomes a liability rather than an advantage. Specifically, unlike the dinner styled candles, the pillar styled candle has, however, a historical problem that has frustrated candle enthusiasts ever since the pillar style was originated. The problem develops when the as the wick is burning and is consuming the fuel embodied in the paraffin/wax. As the wick (which may be one or more wicks in these types of candles, burns, the wax underneath it melts and the wick retreats deeper and deeper down into the burned out “core” or “crater” candle, resulting in a 360-degree perimeter “wall of paraffin/wax waste” around the burning wick. That perimeter wall of waste does not contribute to the fuel burned. Instead, it does block or otherwise shade the light of the burning wick, more so as the wick retreats deeper into the center of the candle.
A personal safety problem is also created when a person attempts to relight the wick when it is deep in the crater of the burned down candle. When extending a match down into the center of the annulus formed by the used candle with its perimeter wall of waste, the heat and flame from the match rapidly travels up the match and may burn the user's finger tips.
These two primary limitations associated with the use of pillar styled candles limit their value. First, a candle lighted at an important point in time, such as during a power outage, may not be as effective at lighting a darkened area as desired. Second, a person may be reluctant to use such a candle to avoid being burned by a match extending into the candle center. Therefore, a person may purchase a pillar styled candle having a certain amount of fuel in the form of wax but can only recover a portion of the investment in that candle when the wick extends far enough into the candle center to render it useless to that user. In other words, the return on investment in the candle is not as good as it could be due to the formation of the wall of waste.
What is needed is a device to improve the return on investment in a pillar styled candle. Further, what is needed is such a device that is convenient to use and effective for its intended purpose. It is desirable to have a device that extends the effective life of a pillar styled candle.